I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did it!!

I DID IT!!

I DID it!!

I did IT!!

Blogged EVERY day in November. I said I would and I did.

Am I surprised? Not necessarily. Not totally. But a little.

I averaged about 5 blog posts a month this year.............until November.

Setting goals is an interesting task. Small, attainable goals; that's what everyone says to do. That's what I tell people to do. But I don't always take that advice myself.

Having a task that I MUST do, makes me think of school. It's been 13 years since I went to school. I spent about 26 yrs of my life going to school. I was beyond burnt out when I finished. I've never wanted to go back.

What goals have I set for myself since getting out of school? I don't often set attainable, specific goals for myself.

I'll create a budget for myself and then never really stick to it 'cause who can plan for the damn car repairs or the water heater that goes out, and who really wants to restrict your grocery bills or the dinner out to celebrate your friend's promotion.

I don't want to set a goal unless I'm going to achieve it. Completely. Fully. I don't wanna tell everyone I'm going to start going to the gym 4 days a week. I probably won't do it. I'd rather go to the gym for a few months and then SHOUT it to the world........I did this HUGE thing.

What's next?? Maybe I could set a goal that I will do sit ups for 10 min. every day. If I can BLOG EVERY DAY, I could do that, right?

One small success at a time.

SHOUT OUT to every NaBloPoMo participant. Rachenbo says it best.

Another list

5 things I've noticed about the other NaBloPoMo bloggers:

1. There are a lot of Heathers
2. There are a lot of blogs about knitting and cooking
3. There are some heartbreaking and inspirational blogs written by people suffering from health issues
4. There are a lot of people who didn't post every day
5. There are some cool, good looking blog headers and blogger (mine) is not one of them

10 things I feel thankful for..........right now

Let's see if I can come up with 10 things that I truly feel thankful for..........at this moment in time (when I'm not feeling particularly thankful)

1. Chocolate ice cream
2. My love for pictures; taking them, making albums with them, telling a story with them
3. My smart, sweet, sleeping child and his ability to fight off a cold
4. My warm, cozy bed
5. Friends to laugh with
6. A job to go to tomorrow
7. A trip to SD next month to plan and look forward to
8. A houseful of boys that put up with my assumption that they can read my mind
9. A book to look forward to reading when I'm done here
10. A blog to write a list of things I'm thankful for............so I remember to be thankful

Ohhh nooo...........I have 11 things. I'm thankful that they're are only 2 more days of NaBloPoMo.

Things I haven't done and things I've learned......in Nov.

Since blogging EVERY day in November, I haven't:

*Stayed out past midnight (I have seriously left parties and run home to blog)
*IM'd with a friends (even though I can see them online and haven't talked to them in awhile) 'cause it's too close to midnight and I gotta get my blog post done
*Gone to flickr most every day and browsed through pics for hours
*Left my laptop at home while going on vacation

I learned:
*I enjoy a challenge
*I can pull blog post topics out of my ass............at the last moment............and be proud of my post
*That I am still impressed with Dooce's ability to post entertaining blogs almost every day
*I can completely forget about posting pics to flickr, or checking my myspace (which is only important because I miss keeping up with my teenage buddies)
*That I enjoy reading random blogs about people looking for fullfillment and hope in their daily struggles and crazy lives.

My rigorous schedule today (& that's all you get)

Open eyes, shut eyes, go back to sleep, and repeat until 11 something
Eat cereal, drink coffee, take vitamins
Lay on couch and catch up on TiVo'd programs
Pee
Go back to couch
Talk on phone for post-mortem on last night (whole 'nother post)
Drink more water and pee
Feel son's forehead and ask him if he's feeling OK 'cause there was an evil flu bug going round at Thanksgiving.
Eat leftover yams in bed and surf channels
Put away clean laundry piled on bed so I can see the TV better
Start some laundry to clear a pathway on floor in bedroom
Eat lasagna in bed but gave up 'cause the roof of my mouth feels like I burned it
Drink some Airborne and pee
Watch Thank You for Smoking, feeling chilled but hoping it's just paranoia and I didn't actually catch the evil flu bug.
Put Wayne to bed
Drink more water and ............you guessed it.
Blog and have nothing to say but this

skiing vs laundry

The parents and auntie & uncle are all huddled round the calendar.The annual kids ski trip is being planned.

Cindy: "What? Heather? You're not going?"
Me: "Ummm. No. But my son will go as always."
Cindy: "WHAT? You're not going skiing?"
Me: "Let's review last year. Everyone kept saying.........don't worry about it, you don't have to ski, and then 5 seconds later........come skiing, you'll love it, just one morning.........then the next day............come skiing again, it won't be so hard this time. Ohhh you don't want to go.............don't worry about it, you don't have to ski, and then 5 seconds later..........YOU don't want to go skiing? HOW come? It'll be fun, come skiing.........."
Cindy: "WHAT? HOW come you don't want to ski?"
Everyone else in unison: "Remember, she was complaining the whole time about her legs and ankles and every other body part?"
Cindy: "WHAT? You should come. It'll be GREAT. Take some vicodin and come skiiing!!"
Me: "OMG"
Cindy: "Seriously HOW come you don't like skiing?"
Me: "Tell me something you don't like to do"
Cindy: "Laundry. I hate laundry."
Me: "We should do some laundry. COME ON. It'll be FUN. Take some vicodin. Let's do some laundry!!"
Cindy: "So you're going to stay home and do laundry??"

the proverbial truck

It feels like I was run over by a truck. I'm tuckered. Tired. Exhausted. Pooped. Draggin'. Comotose. I didn't see it coming but I should have. I guess I wasn't really looking. Just "crossing the street" today and BAM.
2nd weekend of traveling and family and talking and listening and hugging and crying. Lordy.

So many pics

I took so many pics and received so many pics today, and it makes me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY. Not only did I take some nice one's yesterday and today, I received pics from both my sisters today!!

My sis in Mexico figured out how to upload to kodakgallery and had some of her Europe trip to share. Yippppeeeee. Then my other sis uploaded her pics from the SD Wild Animal Park where she took a tour and fed Giraffe's and Rhino's!!

Big Bird Day?

Just in case my hands are too water-logged from dishes or I've convinced myself that I really can drink wine, I'm posting this NOW. A few minutes past midnight on the night before. It's not cheating dammit 'cause it IS tomorrow; I just haven't gone to bed yet. One perk of being a night-owl.

7 days to go..................

My secret holiday Yams recipe

I can't tell you how many people have said to me (in a confessional, whispering tone), "I don't normally like yams but yours are great!! How do you make them?".

Finally the secret recipe.

1) Buy lots of yams...........in the produce section. Not canned. Not sweet pototoes.
2) Preheat (or don't preheat) oven to 400 (or anywhere between 300-450).
3) Bake 'em for an 1 1/2 hrs (or when the house smells really good or whenever you remember to take them out).
4) Scoop out the insides into a serving dish.
5) Mush them together with a fork (or a spoon or whatever works).
6) Put Marshmellows on top and put them in a hot oven and WATCH them until the Marshmellows are GOLDEN BROWN.

3 produce bags full should feed about 20 people with leftovers for the next day.

Seriously folks. Canned yams are kinda gross. And I'm not sure why anyone wants to add butter and brown sugar when they are oozing with natural sweetness (as evidenced by the gooey, honey like substance that will be glued to your cookie sheets).

Happy Turkey Day!! Enjoy whatever you're eating and think of at least one thing you can be THANKFUL for this year!!

UPDATE:
After posting this I went on my merry way to read blogs. I choose Dooce first. Read the last line of her post today. FREAKY. VERY VERY FREAKY.